Citroën C3 Aircross
Further development of the 1.6 HDi with SCR catalyst and AdBlue injection. Significantly cleaner than its predecessor, equally economical. The AdBlue tank must be topped up regularly.
Crossover diesel
99 hp BlueHDi in the C3 Aircross — economical on the commute, well suited for city driving.
Engine Weaknesses 6
The integrated level sensor in the AdBlue tank is structurally prone to failure and cannot be replaced separately. A defect triggers a warning with engine start lockout after a few starts. PSA covers costs only for vehicles under 5 years and 150,000 km.
Symptoms: AdBlue warning light, countdown to start lockout on instrument cluster, incorrect range display
Soot particles and metal debris in the oil clog the oil strainer in the hollow bolt that supplies oil to the turbocharger. The turbo runs dry, bearings wear or seize. Particularly prevalent when oil change intervals are not observed.
Symptoms: Whistling or rattling noise from the turbo, blue or white smoke from the exhaust, severe power loss, increased oil consumption.
The DV6-BlueHDi100 combines DPF and SCR; on short urban trips the filter does not reach regeneration temperature. Frequent active regenerations increase fuel dilution of the oil. The filter must be professionally cleaned or replaced when too blocked.
Symptoms: Soot smell, DPF warning light, increased fuel consumption, rising oil level
The EGR valve on the BlueHDi-100 suffers from the same contamination problem as its predecessor. As the SCR system forces frequent DPF regeneration, the EGR system is more heavily loaded. PSA recommends cleaning at the latest every 60,000 km.
Symptoms: Power drop, hesitation at medium load, limp mode, fault code P0401
The graphite seal on the AdBlue injector wears and allows urea to escape, which then crystallises. The ECU needs to be re-initialised after replacement, otherwise it will not recognise the tank. Costs approximately €50–780 depending on the extent of damage.
Symptoms: Warning message 'check AdBlue system', white crystalline deposits on the injector, fault codes P20F6 or P20E8. Vehicle risks not starting after the countdown warning is triggered.
The water-cooled EGR cooler develops cracks in the coolant circuit. Coolant evaporates on hot exhaust components without any external visible leak. Slow coolant loss leads to overheating risk.
Symptoms: Gradual coolant loss without visible leaks, coolant warning on the dashboard, whitish steam from the exhaust, cooling system requires frequent topping up.
Vehicle Weaknesses 4
Axle springs and dampers show up to twelve times the average rejection rate at the first MOT on the C3 Aircross. This is the most striking weak point of the vehicle.
Brake disc wear is unusually high already at the first MOT. Frequent stop-start use or sporty driving makes the problem considerably worse.
All build years show above-average rates of misadjusted headlights and defective front and rear lights and indicators at the MOT. The fault rate for tail lights is three times higher than average.
Older C3 Aircross models show exhaust system rust that causes increasing MOT problems with age. Underfloor oil loss is also flagged by MOT testers more frequently.
